Just after Nintendo announced the game, Dread quickly became one of the most pre-ordered games of the year. In fact, Dread is the most pre-ordered game on Amazon in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan.
It’s hard to believe that Metroid Dread was only announced earlier this year at E3.
Since the announcement at E3, Metroid Dread hype has hit a fever pitch.
And now it’s here.
Wow.
What To Expect
For those who don’t know, Metroid Dread is an action-adventure side scroller featuring everyones favorite bounty hunter. Samas Aran is on a whole new adventure on the planet ZDR where she has to investigate the disappearance of powerful Galactic Federation robots known as Extra-planetary Multiform Mobile Identifies, or E.M.M.I.
This game also marks the end of the 2D Metroid saga, a pivotal moment for fans of the series. Metroid Dread is the culmination of a story arc that spans 35 long years.
So far, the reviews for Metroid Dread haven’t just been positive — they’ve been stellar. Dread is already getting rave reviews. Some are even going as far as to call it a contender for Game-of-the-Year.
What’s New With Metroid Dread?
Metroid Dread brings a darker atmosphere to the series. This dark, brooding installment in the franchise includes some mechanics that borrow from well-established mechanics of the horror and stealth genres. Rather than just running and gunning, Samus can now use stealth to avoid enemies, especially the E.M.M.I. robots that can kill her instantly.
This is also the first 2D Metroid adventure designed for a home console since Super Metroid on the SNES, so you can look forward to more fluid controls on the Switch. Based on early reviews, many players have mentioned that Samus controls better than ever and that everything from jumping to shooting feel much more natural.
Do I Need To Know The Metroid Story Before Playing Dread?
No, not necessarily. Metroid Dread doesn’t require you to have played any of the previous games in the Metroid saga, and newcomers to the series can still play and enjoy the game. Based on the reviews, Metroid Dread quickly brings players up to speed with a quick story recap during the opening sequence (like the other games in the series). Dread starts slow, helping new players get to grips with the classic Metroidvania gameplay, but it quickly kicks things into gear and becomes the challenge seasoned players have come to expect from Metroid.
If you’re looking for a quick recap on the Metroid story leading up to Dread, we’ve recapped it for you.
Metroid Dread releases physically and digitally on October 8.